Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Avengers.

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Chapter 40: Truth Behind Legend

Of course, after the soul-binding contract had been signed and the family reunited for the first time in a thousand years, it seemed only one course of action was left to take…Celebration. Night had soon fallen and the large fire in the centre of the camp was the main source of light, the torches around camp only being of little help compared to the fire. A small fire was not too far away from the large one, roasting the food while the servant prepared a large banquet table and some even sat around the fire and played music. Nakers, cittern, tambourine, bells, recorders, flutes, harp, pipes and tabor, all instruments were present at the celebration and livened up the camp greatly as everyone was dancing and drinking around the fire. Even the servants making the food were drinking and laughing but not forgetting about their job. Everyone from royals, to soldiers, to council members, to healers and servants, were all celebrating. Since becoming of age, one thousand and eight hundred, in captivity or banishment, the boys had never had wine or mead before so Loki made sure to watch them that night, not wanting to stop them from celebrating, especially since the coming of age a male made the mistake of drinking too much the first time, it was a rite of passage. Loki just wanted to make sure they stayed safe and didn't do anything rash such as change into their animal forms and destroy the camp.

Loki also, however, had to keep eyes on his daughters, swearing at one-point Hela gave Dahlia some wine and although he allowed her half a goblet, he wouldn't put it past Hela to smuggle her sister some more for the celebration. He didn't mind too much, after all it was part of being siblings but what he wasn't happy about was seeing Hela and Falcon together again. Lingering touches, dancing where his hand was a little too low or they stood a little too close to one another. What he found when he looked around, however, was that no one batted an eyelid the way Hela and Falcon were with one another. He knew his eldest daughter was of age, of age to drink, of age to travel, for goodness sake she's a Queen and a Goddess but it also meant she was of age to marry and he could not allow that. When he looked at her, he still saw the sweet little girl who would run up to him and beg for a magic trick, he still saw the little girl who would come to him with tears in her eyes when someone was mean to her, knowing her father would make her smile again. She is, and would always be, his little girl and it was impossible for her to be in love. He was all too happy when Hela left dancing with Falcon and went to sit with Dahlia on a log in front of the fire. His youngest clearly tired of dancing and the celebration as he knew it took a drain on her with the poison still being in her system.

Hela was most certainly enjoying herself and when she looked around, it seemed everyone else was as well. Fenrir was drinking and laughing with the soldiers and dancing with the odd girl or two, Jörmungandr drinking not quite as much as their older brother but enough for him to be having a good time, talking his way around the camp, even their father worked his way around the camp asking god knows what Hela can imagine. It was when she saw her sister, sat on the log looking tired, did she decide to stop dancing with Falcon and join her. Falcon kissed her hand before letting her go.

Joining her sister, she sat as close as possible, taking a sip of her wine while Dahlia had juice, she asked, "how're you feeling?"

"Fine," Dahlia answered but Hela raised her brows and her little sister sighed and answered truthfully, "it only hurts a little now, I promise. I still feel tired though, shocking for someone who was unconscious for two days".

Hela hummed and responded, "yeah you'll feel like that for a few days. Tired because of the poison but the pain from the wound should fade within the next week or so if you keep taking the potions".

Dahlia nodded, "can I ask you something?"

"Of course,".

Dahlia gestured her head to the other side of the fire and Hela glanced to see the founders talking but what she did see was that Rowena kept glancing up to the castle and didn't seemed as involved in the conversation as the two others did. Dahlia asked, "what's the story? I mean at my birthday ball when I brought up Slytherin, it seemed to upset her in a way, Lady Ravenclaw. Now, she looks up at the castle as if she wants to go inside but is scared".

Hela nodded as she looked down to her goblet for a moment then looked to her sister and said, "I always seem to forget that this world twists truths over time, that as time goes on truth becomes stories and some become lost".

"What do you mean?"

"Well to the wizarding world, the stories of Merlin and Morgan Le Fay, the story of the founders, which I know you know some of the changes from the ball, they've been twisted over time".

"In what way?" Dahlia asked as she turned to sit looking at her sister.

"Like…Morgan was never truly evil".

"WHAT?" Dahlia exclaimed and saw several people look at her and she gave them all a nervous smile as they then looked away.

Hela couldn't help but laugh at her reaction and said, "wait until I finish the story. Merlin and Morgan are actually a part of my council, along with the founders they represent the magical community of this world. Anyway, in life both came to Hogwarts within the first generation of the school opening so they came in a time of peace between the founders. Both were Slytherins and both very powerful, so much that that they were drawn to each other".

Dahlia opened her mouth in shock, wanting to ask but closed her mouth knowing her sister wanted her to wait until the end.

"By drawn I do mean romantically. Back in those days, this country was separated between kings and Morgan's mother was the Lady Ygraine. Her father died and her mother went on to marry the King of Camelot, Uther Pendragon, and gave birth to a son, Arthur. Lady Ygraine wasn't a witch but Morgan's father was a wizard; they had no school back then, they were taught at home what their parents knew. When the school was made, it was the first of its kind and Lady Ygraine happily sent her daughter as she couldn't teach her. Arthur, obviously, wasn't a wizard due to both of his parents being Muggles. Morgan and Merlin were taught by Salazar Slytherin himself but it was revealed that when Morgan turned twelve, she inherited a gift from her father's side, a gift of sight. She was a Seer, still is in a way. She began to have visions of the future and the founders tried to help her control them, only Rowena had ever had any knowledge of having the sight but never as powerful as this. As the years went by, Merlin and Morgan grew close and began to court in their final two years at Hogwarts but the visions only grew worse as time passed. She became a healer, was very skilled at healing and even became an Animagus, a crow. After leaving Hogwarts, they were going to get married but her visions got worse until she had a vision that sent her over the edge. She saw a little girl, a witch, seven years old burning for being a witch. She was begging her parents to help her but they were Muggles and feared her and as they burned her, they said it was law that any witch be burned".

Dahlia gasped and placed a hand over her mouth.

"Morgan ran back to Hogwarts to ask Slytherin for help but he didn't know how to help, he had heard that witches and wizards were being prosecuted but it wasn't the law. She stayed at the castle for a time and Slytherin forbid Merlin from entering, Morgan didn't want to see him because he had just taken up a position in Arthur's court. She couldn't trust him. Slytherin and Morgan began to look into old dark magic, trying to find a way to stop what was to come, to shield their kind, but they were delving into magic no one should touch. Morgan left the castle and searched for other witches and wizards to help her learn more and she was determined to bring about the end of any king, including her brother, that could make her vision to come true. In the end, Morgan became so far from the healer she was once, sacrificial magic, dark magic was what she was now known for. Merlin became a source of light, attempting to stop Morgan, but many believed it to be because he hated her, when really, he just wanted to save her from her own magic. It became a deadly battle at the end, Arthur and Merlin wanting to end his sister's reign of terror and the battle of Camlann ended all of that. Mordred, a wizard helping Morgan, mortally wounded Arthur but Arthur killed him and when Morgan tried to finish, Merlin had to kill her. He apologised and said he did it for her and he wished he could have saved her and with her dying breath, she told him to save the girl".

"Did he?" Dahlia asked eagerly and with a shake of her sister's head, she asked, "what happened?"

"It was the beginning of my reign and because of the crimes Morgan committed, she had to go to Mareritt but she didn't have a long sentence as her intentions behind everything were to save people. I made her a member of my council and one by one, the founders came and joined the council and finally Merlin came. It took a few years but they fell in love again and have been together ever since".

"And the little girl, her reason behind everything?"

Hela nodded, "August 7th 1591, her name was Isabel Henwick, or Isabel Ambrosius as she is now. Turns out, Morgan had a vision five hundred years before it was due to occur".

"But…but why give her a vision she couldn't stop?" Dahlia asked confused and felt sympathy for the dark witch.

Hela shrugged, "I don't know, but when the little girl came to Niflheim, she was so lost, so confused at what her parents did to her. Falcon told me before he guided her to Niflheim and I told Morgan and Merlin. I remember the day, as if it was yesterday. Morgan was crying while holding the little girl, apologising that she couldn't save her and Isabel was just confused. Not knowing why, the parents that said they loved her would kill her. They took her in immediately, adopted her, and she became their daughter. When her parents came to Niflheim, Isabel wanted nothing to do with them, becoming quite the witch with her parents help and nothing could tear the family of three apart. They did have quite the introduction to the afterlife from Morgan though".

Both girls laughed at Hela remembering just what Morgan did while Dahlia was imagining what Morgan would do to the people who killed her now daughter and how she spent almost all of her life trying to stop it from happening. No one can truly measure the rage that comes with a mother's love.

Dahlia then glanced to Rowena and asked, "so, what of Lady Ravenclaw?"

"Well, their stories are entwined which is why I told you. Firstly, Rowena and Salazar were, are still, in love".

Dahlia almost choked when she took a sip of her drink and said, "excuse me, I thought I just heard you say they're in love".

"Still in love," Hela corrected, "he may now be in Mareritt because of his descendant's actions but that doesn't stop them loving each other. He actually walked into Mareritt with his head held high after telling her he loved her. Like you've been told, he regrets the teachings he passed on. You know the story of the school being built but what's kept out of the story is that of Rowena and Salazar. They fell in love while building the school, a love that they were constantly arguing, having debates but wouldn't let anyone hurt the other. They never married, Rowena was too proud to give up her name and she didn't really care what people thought of them being together. Anyway, when Morgan joined the school and began to have visions, both founders worked together to try to help her but they never succeeded. With her constant dreams, she had to be given a room of her own as she would scream in her sleep. Salazar was always cautious of those without magic knowing about her after hearing that people, children, were being killed for having magic. You already know of the Basilisk. It seemed that Salazar seemed to take Morgan's visions more seriously than the others so when she came back and told him of the vision of Isabel, it's then that he began to disagree with the other founders and conflict started. His reasoning, he and Rowena had a daughter".

"No" Dahlia said in disbelief.

Hela nodded, "the Grey Lady, Ravenclaw ghost".

"She's their daughter?"

Hela nodded, "Helena Ravenclaw. She was only a baby when Morgan came back and told Salazar and after she left, Salazar became obsessed with finding a way of protecting the castle and that involved dark arts. He began to hate Muggle, never wanted to see them, and saw Muggle-borns as threats, spies that could end them. He only ever thought of Morgan's vision and he saw his own daughter in the flames and couldn't let that happen. Helena was four when the founders told Salazar to leave and he had to be forced, not wanting to leave Rowena and Helena. Rowena wouldn't allow dark magic to surround her daughter and that's what was happening. He left, never returning but practising dark magic elsewhere and even met a dark witch that he had a son with, that's where his current line comes from. He never loved her, it was just a matter of power".

"So, Helena and Rowena never saw him again?"

Hela answered, "Rowena had a hard time raising her daughter without Salazar, she struggled to look at her daughter as she has Salazar's eyes. She loves Helena but Rowena focused more on the school, it was the only way to deal with her heartbreak. Helena grew up and saw her mothers distance and ran away. Rowena was ill and dying so she sent a man, the one you call the Bloody Baron, to bring her back but he killed her instead and then killed himself. Rowena saw the ghost of her daughter and a second later, she died. Salazar found out about Rowena's illness and snuck back into the castle just as she died. He saw her body but when it came to Helena, she refused to see him and Godric and Helga kept him from her. He left and a few months later he died through a dark spell. Turns out, the witch he had a son with wasn't a fan of being second best and killed him. He came to Niflheim, spent a few years in Mareritt for the murders he committed using dark magic then became a part of my council and he and Rowena reunited".

"But Helena never went to Niflheim?"

"No. They've watched over her but Helena clung to this world strongly enough that she stayed in the form of a ghost. That's why Rowena wants to see her but is scared of entering the castle in case Helena hates her".

Looking back to Lady Ravenclaw, Dahlia had a whole new perception of the founder. Almost everyone who attends Hogwarts believes Ravenclaw to be a woman who was strict, firm, cared more about intelligence and grades then anything, or as some people would say, the founder who had the least fun. Now she was told the story, she felt truly sorry for the founder, her love, her daughter both taken from her and even in death they weren't whole. It surely answered Dahlia's question why Rowena seemed hesitant to answer any questions regarding Slytherin at the ball. Watching the founders, she saw Helga ask Rowena if she was okay and after nodding, Rowena left and went back to a tent to be alone. It made Dahlia question if her father was in a similar way when he lost them but he was all alone in his cell. Her thoughts then went to her sister, surrounded by all these people having lost everyone to death, banishment or imprisonment. Of course, there was the year of sorrow and thinking about her sister, she finally realises, she doesn't know enough about what happened that year.

"Avada Kedavra" the green light shot and-

Dahlia shot up in bed sweating, the silk pyjamas clinging to her as she ran her hands though her hair. She looked around to see her sister asleep beside while Fenrir was in wolf form on the floor, clearly not wanting to sleep in the bed with him being too big. She saw her father asleep on the couch in the sitting area with a book on his chest but she couldn't find Jörmungandr. The covers to the other bed were pushed away, showing clearly that he had left. Nervously, she put her dressing gown on and slippers that were at the side of the bed and left the royal tent. The celebration outside was clearly over but the fire was still lit, giving off the heat and light many of them craved. The majority of the people from Niflheim had gone to sleep but there was a circle of soldiers surrounding the camp, ready for an attack.

As she walked through the camp looking for her brother, it seemed there was no sign of him in camp so she had to go out of camp. When she went to the entrance, however, she saw Akio on the floor meditating, holding his sword in his palms, as if balancing the weight with his eyes closed, and she tried to sneak past him but was unsuccessful. Just as soon as she was to pass him, he threw his sword up in the air then pointed it in front of her, blocking her from moving forward. "Bed," he said.

She sighed, frustrated, and said, "you're not my father".

"No," he said opening his eyes and looking to her as he jumped and stood, putting his sword to his waist, "I am the man your sister and now your father have assigned to protect you. So, if that means stopping you from leaving camp, then so be it".

"I'm looking for my brother," she said, hoping he'd now let her leave, "he's not in the tent and I can't find him anywhere. There's soldiers surrounding the camp so if he left, you must have seen him".

Akio gave a single nod and said, "lake" and then turned and gestured for her to walk. Of course, he followed her after a few feet and she knew better than to argue as he'd follow her either way.

Walking towards the lake, she saw her brother's shirt, pants and shoes by the side of the lake. Thankfully, Akio kept his distance and it was clear why as her brother was in the lake, clearly in only his underwear but the water was up to his chest. She walked up to the water's edge and was about to shout for him when she saw faces pop from the water, and these weren't the Merpeople she knew lived in the lake. They were exceptionally beautiful; all different colours and lengths of hair and Dahlia could swear she saw a male or two amongst them which she thought didn't exist. She could tell they were Sirens, she learned about them but they were native to Greece where the water was warm. They'd trap sailors in the water with their beautiful voices before pulling them deep into the water and devouring them.

A Siren swam close to her brother, along with a much smaller one Dahlia would think to be a child. Both were female from Dahlia's guess and looked similar so probably mother and daughter, but it's when they began to sing, the song similar to the Merpeople's song from the egg last year that Dahlia wanted to shout out to her brother to save him. She reached for her waist but both her wand and dagger were back in the tent and she scolded herself for forgetting them. "Jörmungandr, get away from them!" she shouted.

Luckily, her brother turned but so did all of the Sirens to look at her. He didn't come back, however, but turned back to the Sirens and spoke to them before swimming back to his sister. He was about ten feet away when he said, "it's okay, they won't hurt me".

"They're Sirens".

"And we're Loki's children," he counteracted, "they're not evil. These are the creatures that helped look after me when I was hurt," he gestured to his burns which she hadn't seen before. "My only companions from my time in the sea. Come, I'll introduce you," he said holding out his hand.

Dahlia hesitated and looked back to Akio who seemed to not see the Sirens as a threat so she took her dressing gown off and her slippers off before walking into the lake in her pyjamas. She took her brothers hand and walked to them but ended having to swim when she got to the place her brother stood before, as he was much taller than she was. He did see her struggling so he pulled her closer and put his arm around her waist so he held her weight to his as he could still stand.

Jörmungandr saw how nervous she was and said, "Dahlia, this is Queen Corarinia of the Sirens and her daughter Princess Seraphina. Before papa brought me back and released me, I'd been staying with them for almost a hundred years".

"He saved me," Dahlia heard a childlike voice in her mind and she immediately gulped and looked between the Sirens and her brother.

Jörmungandr laughed and said, "they're telepathic beings but I guess that's not in your school books", she shook her head, "that's because they don't speak to many people. They can only open their mouths to sing but to talk they use telepathy. They don't reveal it to many people, so its best kept a secret".

Dahlia nodded before looking at the princess, "it was you. You spoke to me, you said my brother saved you".

"We saved each other," Jörmungandr replied.

Seraphina, however, said, "We saw him many times over the years but we must stay hidden. He looked lost, lonely, sad but then he saved me many years ago but was hurt so I took him home and helped heal him. He's protected us since, and we him".

"Quite the hero, brother," Dahlia joked and he rolled his eyes.

"It was his bravery and selflessness that led me to welcome him," Queen Corarinia said in their minds, "an outsider was never welcomed but he became a part of us, which is why we came to see if he was coming home".

"W-W-What?" Dahlia asked as she looked to her brother anxiously, "You can't leave. Dad, Hela, Fenrir, they'll miss you-"

"Dahlia," he said trying to stop her.

"-I'll miss you. I've only just met you-"

"Dahlia".

"-don't leave-"

"SISTER," he had to snap in order to shut her up and Dahlia looked down to the water, fearing that another person was set to leave her. He used his other hand that wasn't supporting her and lifted her chin up so she looked at him as he said, "I'm not leaving you".

What?" Dahlia asked in disbelief.

Jörmungandr, however, looked back to Queen Corarinia who seemed to nod and said, "we understand, we thought this may happen".

"I'm sorry but I told you of my family, how I was ripped from them-"

The Queen held up her hand to stop him and said, "we understand, we thought you would choose family, we simply came to make sure it wasn't a trap like you warned us of. We only wish for your happiness, we only wish to assure you that you will forever remain a part of us, of the pod".

Seraphina swam to Jörmungandr and brought out her hand from the water which held a silver necklace with a large blue sapphire at the centre of it, surrounded by a Siren's silver tail. "A sapphire of the ocean, I can't accept this," Jörmungandr said shocked as Seraphina put it over his head and around his neck before swimming back to her mother.

"You must," the Queen said, "without you, I would not have my darling daughter now, without you, our pod would have faced many attacks that we may not have survived. You are one of us, no matter where you travel. If you ever wish to return, even to visit, the barriers will allow you through. If you ever need help, hold it tight and we shall come".

"I will never forget what you've done for me," Jörmungandr said, "thank you for giving me a home when I had none".

"Our pleasure, King of Serpents," the Queen said while Jörmungandr rolled his eyes at the name, never seeing himself as a king of anything. "We shall sing for you, we shall tell our young stories of the time you were here, you shall never be forgotten", the Queen then opened her mouth and began to sing as did the rest of the Sirens and Dahlia thought it was beautiful and captivating.

One by one, the Sirens began to swim away, their tails shining in the moonlight as they swam for the open sea, until only a handful of them remained. Seraphina stopped singing and swam to the serpent, kissing his cheek as she said, "I'll miss you".

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, I'll visit soon," Jörmungandr promised.

Seraphina nodded and swam away, her turquoise scales shining beautifully between the water and the moon and now all that remained was the Queen, the last one singing. She backed away as she looked between Dahlia and Jörmungandr but then stopped as she suddenly took a sudden interest in Dahlia's eyes. An eerie silence passed between them before the Queen finally said, "your eyes…they look like hers".

"Hers?" Dahlia questioned as Jörmungandr looked just as confused.

"The woman," the Queen said looking to Jörmungandr, "many years ago, she came looking but we could not tell. We could not tell, for we had to protect". The Queen then turned and swam away, leaving Dahlia in confusion at the riddle while Jörmungandr looked shocked, as if something had been revealed to him.

"Jörmungandr, what was she talking about?" Dahlia asked, seeing her brother's reaction.

He quickly schooled his face and said, "nothing you need to worry about, come on". He then dropped her as they both began to swim back to shore, leaving the freezing cold water.

Once their feet touched land, he saw her shivering so he said, "I'll turn, you take your clothes off and put my shirt on and then your dressing gown, it'll stop you from getting ill. By the great Norns, who knows what papa would do to me if you got worse".

Dahlia laughed as they both turned so he could put his pants and shoes on while she got changed and didn't end up in the healer's tent. When she finished getting changed, she turned to see her brother with his back still to her and she looked past him to see Akio had offered the same curtesy. She coughed and he turned as she put her slippers back on and he placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side so she could warm up. Akio followed them back and they got close to the camp when Dahlia had to ask after glancing at his burns, "Jörmungandr-" he cut her off.

"You do know you can call me Jora. The others do," Dahlia bit her lip nervously, not wanting to overstep and call them by the nicknames that they had when they were children when she wasn't there.

She slowly nodded and said, "Jora" smiling, liking the feeling of being accepted, "if you don't mind, what exactly happened a hundred years ago?"

He looked down and saw her glance at his burns and he took a deep breath, not liking to remember, but he had to tell her, "the mortal world grows fast. A hundred years ago, there was a war that spanned across the world-"

"World War Two?" she asked.

"Yeah, that one. Anyway, Midgardians built these ships, submarines, they still have them, and I was caught in the crossfire".

"How? Hela said your skin is like armour. Impenetrable. She said it was annoying growing up because she couldn't hex you when you were in snake form".

He laughed and said, "a benefit that Fen didn't have. Yes, my skin is like armour but even armour can only take so much. When the Midgardians built submarines, it wasn't long before I saw what they could do so I swam further down to the bottom of the ocean. I learned their machines couldn't travel that far down even now, they continue to build them and they are getting further and further down. Anyway, I was swimming when I saw a young Siren swimming alone; Seraphina. She was just a small child back then, didn't know how horrible the world could be. Her and her people have a life expectancy of five hundred years, they live in a small underwater city in the ocean near Greece that's protected by a magical barrier to stop outsiders. That's why I never knew they truly existed until I saw Seraphina. She left the pod, just wanting to swim outside of the barrier where it was forbidden for her but she was young and foolish and wanted to explore. Being away from the barrier meant that she could be seen, three submarines were close by and saw her and attempted to shoot her. I think it was their curiosity that they didn't know what she was. Anyway, she opened her mouth and instead of singing, she screamed a very loud pitch, a call for help for the pod. I didn't realise what it was, I just saw a child that needed help so I swam up from the depths and destroyed one of the submarines. However, that caught the attention of the other two and they began to fire missiles at me. This," he gestured to the burns, "is what happens when six missiles all aim at the same spot at the same time. It didn't break my skin completely but it burned it enough to cause damage. I managed to destroy the other two ships and save Seraphina but I fell. I was weak, never feeling such pain before but as I fell unconscious, I saw them, the pod. Next thing, I wake up in this underwater city with singing surrounding me and I'm greeted with Corarinia thanking me for saving her daughter. They helped me heal and Seraphina begs me to stay so I do, and in the meantime, I protected the pod from several submarines close by and I never left. Even though there's a barrier, I'd protect the pod, especially when they had to travel elsewhere, and I never left. They treated me as if I was one of them and while I protected them, they protected me if anyone ever came looking for me".

Dahlia gulped, having tears in her eyes, never would have guessed that her brother had to face missiles in his life for someone looking so young but yet she could see in his eyes he faced much. He pulled her closer, seeing her upset as they entered camp and Jörmungandr looked behind him to see Akio now leaving them, staying at the entrance of the camp.

He kissed his little sister's forehead as she mumbled, "I hate them. None of this would have happened if it wasn't for Odin".

"No point getting angry now, what's done is done, it's in the past. All we can do is focus on our future as a family…I should probably warn you though, Fen has scars of his own. Back, arms, chest, from his times being kept in the caves of Asgard".

"Great," she said bitterly, "even more reason to hate them".

"We're back together, that's all that matters. Now, lets get back to bed before the others find out we're missing. Hopefully, you can sleep better." she stared at him surprised, never having told him why she wasn't asleep. He smiled and said quietly as they were close to the tent, "why else would you be up at four in the morning? Besides, no one expects you to see the memories you did and not have trouble sleeping".

Jörmungandr pulled back the tent's flap door and they both walked in quietly, seeing their father and siblings still asleep, the only sound being Fenrir's little snores in his wolf form. Brother and sister both went to bed and smiled at each other from their beds before closing their eyes, hoping to sleep those last few hours before daylight.

Authors note: Please review.